Calming toys

I have to say we keep a sensory bucket filled with goodies we picked up here and there.  The best place in my opinion, is by far Stacey's Sensory Solutions.  She has amazingly cool little gadgets for your kiddo.  You might be extremely overloaded with all the stores and options available for your little one.  You are not alone in this.  Many of us are at some point in this journey.  Trying many different ideas your therapist suggest or you read on a site.  This leaves you with a basket of useless toys you just knew were going to work, but your kiddo took one look and kept on moving.  Let's just discuss the chew necklace for example.  Wonderful idea this little rubber gadget on a necklace so your kiddo will stop chewing on their shirts or body.  Not my kiddo!  He cannot stand anything around his neck so that was a waist for this family.  The light up sensory balls and other objects made to stimulate and calm them didn't really make a huge impression for my guy either.  Moon sand, mad matter, thinking putty, and the floof pocket pack, all items from Stacey's sensory solutions, were a big hit in this house.  I must say a few of those items I found myself playing with them and I was mesmerized.  Sometimes you just got to test the product so no judging.  If your real lucky and can use a little bit of imagination like I did, you can use items around the house.  Getting a couple yards of lycra from fabric store for $20 and using a old pull up bar laying around in garage made a great sensory swing.  This was probably the most used sensory tool in our home for a good year.  Combined with soundscapes from different sites on you tube, this was a blessing.  There are many on you tube for autism, adhd and anxiety.  Long, warm showers with nice massages and some lavender oil behind ears and on wrist can put your little one in a trance.  I must warn you though it tends to make you want to pass out too.  There is so much out there that it can leave you confused and not sure where to start.  It is okay to feel like this.  Lets face it, everyone of our children are different.  This means what works for my child might not work for you.  This is because every child has different sensory needs.  The struggle to figure that out can be long and hard.  I can tell you for us that moment of finally "getting it" can in the form of literally the best occupational therapist ever!  I mean she could have possibly been wearing a halo.  To this day I believe she saved our lives.  The therapy we had been giving him for two years was completely wrong and making my little guy worse.  She explained that in the sensory world there are Tigers and Eeyores.  Tigers are naturally hyper and bouncing off the wall so they need opposite sensory therapy.  Eeyores are very slow and apprehensive to every sound and sights so they need opposite in therapy.  That brings me back to my kiddo who was literally bouncing off the walls.  I mean this kid couldn't sit still if his life depended on it.  What is unfortunate is we were told to bounce, spin, throw and give him all the sensory he needed.  This was extremely wrong to do to him.  By doing this his body could never slow down which prevented him from learning.  His little mind was spinning even when he was sitting.  When this stunning revelation slapped me in the face it quite literally changed our lives.  I cried when our angel left us, but I was happy in the knowledge that she crossed our paths.  Without this new grasp on my son's needs I cannot imagine where we would be today.  Please share your ideas and what worked for your family.  I would love to hear from you and I hope my story helped.

Guilt, Tears & Hope

This is a subject that doesn't get talked about enough in our very large and growing community.  The guilt we carry around like a fire breathing dragon ready to explode at any minute.  This household is not immune to this guilt thing and it shows by one glance in my kiddos playroom.  I am sure you can relate to this.  The guilt you have thinking your child might never have a friend so yes I will buy a new friggin train every time you walk out the door.  The dragon breathing fire on your neck when your out shopping for food and don't really have the money to do so, but feel compelled to buy that new train to add to his already 200+ Thomas the Train collection.  Feeling a if somehow that train will put a smile on his face when you wish he had friends that could instead.  I have found myself in a corner shedding a tear with the knowledge that after three years in school he has never been to a classmates house to play nor have they been here.  No birthday invite has been slipped in his backpack.  My family is a very large, loving and excepting family, but most his cousins are too young, too old or just live too far away to visit.  This leaves my little man without any friendship interaction or play with other children.  You might say, "Why don't you take him out and introduce him to others?"  Of course I do and I watch as the kids his age that now have an awareness that my kiddo isn't like them, seem to pull away or look at him strange and not want to interact.  I can explain to the parents but the children don't always understand my explanations which leave me heartbroken.  At this point my guilt mixed with tears and sadness is solely on me.  He tends to run around and not have clue as to the fact that others are staring and shunning him.  This is good I guess until that day when he gets it.  That day he realizes they won't play with him.  The guilt sets in again and I am on my way to walmart to find that new shiny train to compensate for the lack of interaction with kids his age.   I remember when he was younger thinking all the therapy and hard work put into his learning will change things around.  I would daydream of him having friends and joining t-ball like his older brother did at that age.  I would wake up from that little daydream and see him staring at his lined up trains the corner of his eye.  Then I get on the floor and name the trains with him because hearing him speak makes my insides warm with the fire of the dragon in a good way.  I can honestly say I know all the names of these trains now and what they do!  Then it hits me like a brick.  This might be our lives forever.  He very well may never have friends and I might be playing trains with him till I am old and grey.  Now this makes me smile.  To feel young and playing with toys when I am an old lady has to bring a smile!  Let the guilt go.  Take a deep breathe and release that dragon.  It is not your fault.  Go buy another toy without guilt and tears and be happy that you will probably be the one playing with it too.  It's hard to not have that nagging feeling.  There is hope for your child and your family.  Keep playing with your kiddo and feel happy with the knowledge that your his best friend.

Support Team

I couldn't say this enough to anyone that will listen.  In fact, cover your ears if I am too loud, I'm screaming it loudly!  Every autism family needs a great support team.  This can include family, friends, doctors, therapist, teachers, and random strangers that will listen and understand.  I happen to have a pretty great support team.  I am that hands on (muduh) that makes a point to talk, ask questions, and just be in your face when it concerns my kiddo.  I have made it a mission in my home to make any therapist that dare venture into the door to include them as family.  I openly explain to them they are probably the only adult conversation I get and therefor will get an ear full.  I am on first name basis with his doctors and I can honestly say I can have anything handled with a phone call.  The school knows my face, my name, my phone call, and probably my handwriting!  My family is the strongest part of my support team.  My point to this rambling on is to tell you we all need it.  If you don't have this ask for help.  Seriously,  read our blogs, email any of us in the autism community.  Reach out to any one of us and you will find we are all here for you.  We are in this together.  We have either been there, on our way there or we are just plain understanding to your plight.  In fact, some of us have amazing suggestions on how to help. Or maybe you just want an ear.  I've got that if nothing else.  Who on your team has made things so much easier?  Tell us about it and let us smile with you...

Sleep and Autism

        I just have to say there are nights and early mornings that my kuerig machine isn't pumping out that cup of coffee strong enough.  Come on kid, I just want seven hours of sleep.  Is that too much to ask for?  I'm walking along like one of those zombies on some random movie.  Why is it he can wake at 3 am and not return to sleep till around 5 am when he has to be up by 6 am?  I guess that doesn't sound too bad to most, but he is six years old and does attend school.  This causes me worry over his health, overall performance at school and my ability to stay sane.  I have to give straight up kudos to his teacher and para.  They get him for eight hours of the day and generally don't complain.  Letting his teacher know thru quick text that he is in rare form and had very little sleep usually gets me a response of, "It's okay, we got this."  Well there teacher, would you care to take him on the weekend?  In the early years my little guy rarely slept and this caused havoc on my mental state.  Give him melatonin they say in research and on doctor's advice.  What they don't say is that this works great for putting him to sleep not so much for keeping him asleep.  I tried all the said advice. You know, the epsom salt baths, the lavender oil on pressure points and of course, the massage before bed.  I am still wishing someone came to my house every night to do that for me.   What can be said as to what did actually work for us was straight up probiotics.  Not the kind that sit in your cabinet but the kind you go to the store and find in the refrigerator and must be stored in yours at home.  We noticed change right away.  Not only in his sleep patterns but in his overall performance.  Using a weighted blanket has been a blessing in disguise. As a toddler he was lucky to get five straight hours of sleep in.  I am sure some of you can relate to how stressful that was for me as a parent.  Give me your stories of sleep depravation and how your family deals with it.  What worked for you and what didn't.  Have a great day!

Sensory Playtime

        

      I know you can relate to this.  You know your kiddo needs some sensory input and lets face it, you get tired of providing it all on your own at home.  Next best thing is to take them somewhere else to get it!  Yes folks, I did it!  I took the little guy with the help from his big brother to Bounce Bounce.  Walking in I immediately thought, what was I thinking.  They have no easy way to get special needs families in quickly so we waited in line which was very time consuming while your child is pointing and saying, " Crane game" over and over.  Finally we get to counter and explain our kiddo has autism and I want to stay clear of the hamster ball in water so he wont have major meltdown.  I am then told I first must go back to another line to sign waiver form on a computer then stand back in line to pay.  "WTH,"  I called first and was told nothing of this.  I then do as asked with said kiddo freaking out over this crane game.  I go back to line and I am ready to pay.  I am asked if he can tolerate socks or can he not wear them and does he need some.  I let them know he has socks on and there is no problem.  So we are set!  We stop to play this crane game first, thanks kids you tube....  We enter in which immediately it starts.  He seen the birthday parties going on and wanted the cupcakes.  I get him pass that and get shoes off.  Now we are set and ready to have fun!  We enter an area where kids are running back and forth and jumping.  We get a good ways in then an employee stops me to say we cannot be in there with our socks on we need their socks with grips on.  I feel it right then and there.  You know that immediate break out of sweat because you know darn well what is about to happen trying to get your child outta there and back up front for some da#$ socks!  Yep folks, full fledged meltdown which had my oldest hauling him outside to calm him while I get these golden socks.  I explained how agitated I was and what this caused.  They clearly should not have asked a newby do we need socks.  What should have been said was we needed socks with grips and if we don't have any they have them there.  I buy the socks and we get them on and eventually end up back inside. By then I have spent $30 and I am frustrated but determined to let my lil' man have some fun!  We find a different spot and thank the autism gods he had a blast!  He jumped and ran and climbed for a full hour.  He moved so fast he was a blur in my camera.... Lol  Moral of this story is, it can be rough and you might want to turn and run but, stick it out!  Your kiddo deserves it.  Any of you had one of "those days"?  Tell us about it...

Meltdown City

Have you ever felt like your over the ups and downs of meltdowns then, BAM!  You get smacked with not one but several in a week and your wishing you had a nice bottle of wine handy?  We had a rough week with my little guy and yet, he had some of his best moments.  He was introduced to three new students in his class this week and he had a dental visit, along with loosing a tooth a couple hours after!  The teachers got to deal with a few at school, the bus driver rushed him home before all others dealing with one, here at home I got the very cranky, upset for everything little boy.  I was so proud of him at his dentist appointment.  For the first time ever he sat without me holding him down and got x-rays.  I asked them to explain to him what was going to be done and he did it.  He whimpered and even told me, "SCARED."  I was so happy he spoke and so proud he expressed feelings.  He got his exam and did a cleaning.  As soon as we got home he lost a tooth!  Gotta laugh at that!  I think its possible to ride autism like a train.  You see, we all seem to get on at one stop and jump off at another.  I think we all should hang on together and enjoy the ride.  Might as well have margaritas along the way!  Any of you having a bumpy ride this week?  Tell us about it...

Doctor Visit Time

Is it just me folks or does your asd kiddo seem to always be sick? We are here in Texas where the weather is bi-polar. One day shorts and flip flops next day we are wearing snow jackets! I am at a constant state of sanitizing the house, the kiddo and vehicle! We have been battling allergy cold that turned into sinus infection which slipped into strep and now has all the makings of bronchitis. Yes, you heard it here folks. I live in constant fear of what nasty germ comes next. My son literally runs the doctor office.  When he enters the let him directly back if not too busy and allow him to pick his room and skip vitals because he doesn't like it. I mean this kid has wrapped them around his fingers.  They call him an angel.  I call it like I see it, the art of manipulation!  This boy knows exactly how to get what he wants.  He will even say hello to them and give high fives!  Mind you this master in manipulation is basically non verbal so he knows how to play it.  It works too!  Our doctor praises him on how good he is and she taught him how to give daps!  I would like to hear what side of the world are you from and how do you deal with your kiddo getting sick. What works for your family and please tell our readers any cool tricks to make this easier!  Always fun to hear new ideas!  

Rockin Autism Family

#AutismRockz

Let me introduce myself and my family. My name is April and I am a wife and a mother of two. One who happens to be a semi non-verbal, audacious, spd, autistic ball of energy. We do things differently in this household and I would love to share the journey with you. Along the way we are going to discuss therapies, sensory processing disorder, schools, eating, meltdowns, ups and downs of family life, doctors, medicine, and all the mumbo jumbo paperwork sprinkled with advice and so called help. I hope to hear your stories, laugh and cry with you, and even listen to what works for your family. Please join us on this journey. Take a ride on our crazy autism train...